Here’s a great article from the San Francisco Chronical (Wed. Apr. 11.) Its about Mexico tourism, the media & economic difficulties which it faced over the past 3 years, and its spectacular recovery during 2011, as reflected during the recent Tourism Tiangis in Puerto Vallarta. At the same time, the points in this article are great news for Puerto Vallarta real estate and for other Mexico real estate regions:
Mexico has taken a beating over the past several years, ever since the triple whammy of drug violence, the H1N1 flu scare and a prolonged recession that curtailed travel in the countries that supply the bulk of its tourism. But if the Tianguis Turistico at the end of March is any indication, the country’s tourism industry has bounced back in a big way.
The annual gathering of travel industry representatives and journalists from all over Mexico and around the world is Latin America’s biggest trade show, important enough that President Felipe Calderon flew directly from meeting with the pope in Guanajuato to open this year’s convocation in Puerto Vallarta. Tianguis typically is Mexico’s platform for announcing major tourism developments.
Calderon and his Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara, focused on the surprisingly robust health of the Mexico’s tourism industry. “Today, we have a 98 percent repeat visitor rate and 99 out of every 100 visitors recommends our destinations,†Guevara said in her address.
(Similar things could be said about Mexico real estate buyers!)
Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) announced in February that 2011 was a record-breaking year that saw 22.67 million international travelers. That’s 2 percent higher than in 2010, which in turn was 5.7 percent higher than 2009. More important, 2011’s international arrivals were 0.2 percent higher than 2008, Mexico’s best year in history to that point.
Although international travel by U.S. travelers dropped by 4.1 percent in 2011, the percentage going to Mexico increased by .9 percent, despite a drop-off in the second half of the year. One-third of those travelers visited Mexico — still the most popular destination for U.S. travelers. But the bulk of Mexico’s growth came from tourists from other countries, with major increases in visitors from Brazil (66 percent), Russia (55 percent), China (30 percent) and Colombia (23.2 percent). Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom and France also posted double-digit increases; Japan and Canada also sent more visitors to Mexico in 2011 than in 2010.
Tourism spurred by the so-called 2012 prophecy attributed to the ancient Maya calendar is expected to make 2012 another banner year. The country’s goal of soon becoming one of the world’s top five tourist destinations, which seemed a stretch when it was announced a couple of years ago, now looks within reach.
And here are some direct benefits for Puerto Vallarta real estate buyers:
Tianguis’ numbers this year reflects the tourism recovery. This year’s 22,000 business appointments beat last year’s Tianguis by nearly 40 percent and involved more than 50 percent of domestic and foreign buyers in the trade. Even more impressive, this year’s attendance of 7,000 beat last year’s event by 75 percent.
As the first destination to host Tianguis under the new scheme of rotating destinations annually after being hosted by Acapulco for 3 years, Puerto Vallarta took the spotlight. The city finished the overhaul of its malecón for the event, unveiling a spanking new pedestrian promenade studded by sculptures, benches, and 22 pangas (fishing boats) that local artists have adorned with murals, religious themes, city attractions and abstract designs.
The malecón overhaul is part of an image overhaul to differentiate Puerto Vallarta’s attractions from that of Mexico’s other beach destinations. Sayulita, on the adjacent Riviera Nayarit (Puerto Vallarta’s Tianguis co-host), is in the midst of turning the streets around its central plaza into a pedestrian-only zone, which should help to alleviate the noise and congestion that have increased along with the town’s popularity.
Mexico, as opposed to so many places we hear about is clearly doing well for both tourists and real estate buyers!
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